Several supermarket chains were affected by the investigation, which led to the identification of a Dutch businessman who was involved in the Irish scandal, his location was unknown at the time.

The Spanish investigation was launched last year after suspicious behaviour was noted in the horsemeat market.

The Guardia Civil’s Environmental Protection Service detected a scam whereby poorly horses were being slaughtered in two different slaughterhouses.

The animals came from Portugal and northern Spain, with their meat being processed in a specific facility and from there were sent to Belgium - which is one of the biggest horsemeat exporters in the EU.

The criminal organisation forged the animals’ identification by modifying theirs microchips and documentation.